Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 October 2009
The term globalization has been accepted very quickly. Until the 1990’s virtually unknown, the word is now on everybody’s lips. The phenomenon of globalization however is much older than the concept. It started at the end of the 15th century with the beginnings of European expansion and was dramatically increased by the industrialization of the world since the late 18th century. Over the last 30 years or so it has accelerated so much that one can speak of a new stage of globalization.